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Journal Entry 3

Journal Entry #3 11/15/2020 It seems like I’m able now to actually understand what I’m looking at when looking at the soil of forests! I recall covering in class relatively recently that there are certain ways to identify new forests from old forests; this is also, quite often, and indicator of not only age but how recently natural forest fires may have happened. In my last entry, I made note that the soil of the wheeling trail seems very compact, and I found as I examined my area more that this was kind of a consistent feature of this tiny bit of landscape. The soil wasn’t all that loose, it seemed very compact in most areas; even the hollows around this spot, all the way to the banks of the Ashuelot, aren’t that dense with underbrush. I think I have to conclude, essentially, that I am again seeing a major sign of constant human interaction in this area. I would assume natural fires might be the cause for the lack of “swishy” soil, or that perhaps the area is young, but I know t...
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Journal Entry #2

  Journal Entry #2 11/3/20 I’ve attempted to investigate a bit more of the human signs I see in my spot. So far, it seems like I’ve already seen everything. There is, though, a spot where it seems like four wheelers are taken pretty often. I can consistently see the tire tracks of a small vehicle in the soil.  One would imagine that packed soil would be optimal for driving these four-wheelers! The path certainly seems to be man-made. I wonder, though, if the soil was always like this? Or if it is made like this by the activity that happens here?
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Journal Entry 1 / Journal Paper

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  The spot that I have chosen is one that is a relatively nice mix of a few geographical features. My spot is located down the Ashuelot hiking trail, about a 20 or so minute from the college campus. I don’t know where, exactly, in Keene it is located, but I know there is some private property within a few stone’s throws of the spot, and that the spot is essentially on the banks of the river.  The actual topography of my spot includes not only a few offshoot trails, but also nice patches of open air in an otherwise densely wooded area. The trees are a bit sparse, allowing for some nice walking room between them. There are rocks that line the area are also particularly large; it makes one wonder if there used to be an old New England-style rock wall there. There’s a field that stretches out forward towards the property and towards the river, where it eventually expands out into a larger patch of sparse forest. Due to the presence of the rocks, it also makes one wonder if logging...
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ISearch Paper - Snakes Where They Don't Belong?

  Environment of New England Professor Taylor Karac St. Laurent Snakes Where They Don’t Belong? The location I have opted to use for this research project has proven to hold a lot of interesting secrets. Its geography, especially, confused me at first. My location is a very lush area, where the forest meets an open field. Obviously, this melding of two habitats provides a lot of room for different kinds of animals to be seen and to interact with new environments. My previous area of focus, a sandy patch of soil, has also proven to be full of surprises. When I first arrived at my spot, I spotted a small snake, slithering in and out of the sand, and eventually diving in, never to be seen by me again. What kind of snake was this? Why did it like this one spot of sand? To determine this, it seems proper that I should first determine what, exactly, this snake is. The snake itself was rather small, definitely not longer than six inches and likely as short as four in length. The body ...
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